Keywords
Church Slavic literature
George the Monk
Hamartolus
paratexts
colophon
How to Cite
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present a previously unpublished source, i.e. an extended colophon, placed on the last pages of a Serbian manuscript from 1385/1386 (ГИМ, Син. 148, fol. 433–434). This manuscript is one of the oldest copies of the second translation into Church Slavic of the chronicle of George the Monk called Hamartolus (9th century), known as Лѣтовникъ. This translation was based on the version of the Byzantine historian’s work, which most likely has not survived to this day in any Greek manuscript. The translation was made in the Second Bulgarian Empire, in the first half of the 14th century, and then became popular in the Slavic monastic environment on Mount Athos, in Nemanjić’s Serbia and in the Danubian principalities. Лѣтовникъ can also be considered one of the least studied versions of the chronicle of George the Monk. The manuscript ГИМ, Син. 148 was written – as we read in the colophon – by two monks, Roman and Basil, in the Serbian monastery of Hilandar on Mount Athos, on the order of Radovan, a magnate from the circle of Constantine Dejanović Dragaš, for the needs of his private book collection. The text presented here is therefore an interesting testimony to the spread of reading culture in the Balkans in the 14th–15th centuries.
Funding
This article was written as part of projects financed by the National Science Centre, granted on the basis of decisions DEC-2020/39/G/HS2/01652 and DEC-2022/47/B/HS3/00389.
References
Georgii Monachi Chronicon, red. C. de Boor, t. 1–2, Lipsiae 1904.
Istrin V. M., Knigy vremenyja i obraznyja Georgija Mnicha. Chronika Georgija Amartola v drevnem slavjanorusskom perevode. Tekst, issledovanie i slovar’, t. 1–3, Petrograd 1920–1922 [Истрин В. М., Книгы временыя и образныя Георгия Мниха. Хроника Георгия Амартола в древнем славянорусском переводе. Текст, исследование и словарь, t. 1–3, Петроград 1920–1922].
Letovnik’ s’krašten’ ot različniih letopis’c’ že i povedatelii izbran’ i s’stavlen’ ot Georgia grešnaa inoka, t. 1, Sankt-Peterburg 1878–1880; t. 2, Sankt-Peterburg 1881 [Лѣтовникь ськращень ѿ различніих лѣтописьць же и повѣдателіи избрань и сьставлень отъ Георгіа грѣшнаа инока, t. 1, Санкт-Петербург 1878–1880; t. 2, Санкт-Петербург 1881].
Matveenko V., Ščegoleva L., Knigi vremennye i obraznye Georgija Monacha, t. 1–2, Moskva 2006–2011 [Матвеенко В., Щеголева Л., Книги временные и образные Георгия Монаха, t. 1–2, Москва 2006–2011].
Matveenko V., Ščegoleva L., Vremennik Georgija Monacha (Chronika Georgija Amartola). Russkij tekst, kommentarij, ukazateli, Moskva 2000 [Матвеенко В., Щеголева Л., Временник Георгия Монаха (Хроника Георгия Амартола). Русский текст, комментарий, указатели, Москва 2000].
Menologion, życiorysy świętych opracował i teksty liturgiczne przetłumaczył na język polski o. archimandryta Roman Piętka, Kostomłoty 2007.
Stari srpski zapisi i natpisi, red. Lj. Stojavonić, t. 3, Beograd 1905 [Стари српски записи и натписи, red. Љ. Стојановић, t. 3, Београд 1905].
Afinogenov D. E., Biblejskaja istorija v Letovnike: problema istočnikov, „Antičnaja drevnost’ i srednie veka” 2015, t. 43, s. 163–169 [Афиногенов Д. Е., Библейская история в Лѣтовнике: проблема источников, „Античная древность и средние века” 2015, t. 43, s. 163–169]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/adsv.2015.43.009
Afinogenov D., The date of Georgios Monachos reconsidered, „Byzantinische Zeitschrift” 1999, t. 92, nr 2, s. 437–447. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/byzs.1999.92.2.437
Afinogenov D., Did the patriarchal Archive end up in the monastery of Stoudios? Ninth century vicissitudes of some important dokument collections [w:] Monastères, images, pouvoirs et société à Byzance. Nouvelles approches du monachisme byzantin (XXe Congrès international des Études byzantines, Paris, 2001). Le second iconoclasne et ses suites, red. M. Kaplan, P. Pagès, Paris 2006, s. 125–133. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/books.psorbonne.2096
Afinogenov D., Hellenistic Jewish texts in George the Monk: Slavonic testimonies, „Scandinavian Journal of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies” 2018, t. 4, s. 89–98.
Afinogenov D. E., K proischoždeniju legendy o sv. Arsenii – vospitatele imperatorov Arkadija i Gonorija, „Vestnik Drevnej Istorii” 2004, t. 1, s. 49–60 [Афиногенов Д. Е., К происхождению легенды о св. Арсении – воспитателе императоров Аркадия и Гонория, „Вестник Древней Истории” 2004, t. 1, s. 49–60].
Afinogenov D. E., Kompozicija chroniki Georgija Amartola, „Vizantijskij vremennik” 1991, t. 52, s. 102–112 [Афиногенов Д. Е., Композиция хроники Георгия Амартола, „Византийский временник” 1991, t. 52, s. 102–112]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0095-8956(91)90096-3
Afinogenov D., Le manuscrit grec Coislin. 305: la version primitive de la Chronique de Georges le Moine, „Revue des études byzantines” 2004, t. 62, s. 239–242. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/rebyz.2004.2294
Afinogenov D. E., Nekotorye zamečanija o slavjanskom perevode chroniki Georgija Monacha (Letovnike), „Indoevropejskoe jazykoznanie i klassičeskaja filologija” 2013, t. 17, s. 41–48 [Афиногенов Д. Е., Некоторые замечания о славянском переводе хроники Георгия Монаха (Лѣтовникѣ), „Индоевропейское языкознание и классическая филология” 2013, t. 17, s. 41–48]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4186/ej.2013.17.1.41
Afinogenov D. E., Ob odnom maloizučennom javlenii v istorii vizantijskoj literatury (patriarch Mefodij i jego „kružok”), „Balkanskie čtenija” 1990, t. 1, s. 70–71 [Афиногенов Д. Е., Об одном малоизученном явлении в истории византийской литературы (патриарх Мефодий и его „кружок”), „Балканские чтения” 1990, t. 1, s. 70–71].
Afinogenov D. E., Utračennye vizantijskie istočniki v drevnerusskoj slovestosti, „Slavica Slovaca” 2008, t. 43, nr 1, s. 29–44 [Афиногенов Д. Е., Утраченные византийские источники в древнерусской словесности, „Slavica Slovaca” 2008, t. 43, nr 1, s. 29–44].
Afinogenov D., Turilov A. A., Popov G. V., Georgij Amartol [w:] Pravoslavnaja enciklopedija, t. 11, Moskva 2006, s. 48–56 [Афиногенов Д., Турилов А. А., Попов Г. В., Георгий Амартол [w:] Православная энциклопедия, t. 11, Москва 2006, s. 48–56].
Anisimova T. V., Chronika Georgija Amartola v drevnerusskich spiskach XIV–XVII vv., Moskva 2009 [Анисимова Т. В., Хроника Георгия Амартола в древнерусских списках XIV–XVII вв., Москва 2009].
Astruc Ch., Conus–Wolska W., Gouillard J., Lemerle P., Papachryssanthou D., Paramelle J., Les sources grecques pour l’histoire des Pauliciens d’Asie Mineure, „Travaux et Mémoires” 1970, t. 4.
Boeck E. N., Displacing Byzantium, disgracing convention: the manuscript patronage of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria, „Manuscripta: A Journal for Manuscript Research” 2007, t. 51, nr 2, s. 181–208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1484/J.MSS.1.100104
Brzozowska Z. A., Zapożyczona czy własna wizja dziejów powszechnych? Wpływ autorów bizantyńskich na świadomość historyczną Słowian Południowych i Wschodnich (na przykładzie opowieści o Mahomecie i Historii paulicjan Piotra z Sycylii) [w:] Widmo Mahometa, cień Samuela. Cesarstwo Bizantyńskie w relacji z przedstawicielami innych religii i kultur (VII–XV w.), red. Z. A. Brzozowska, M. J. Leszka, K. Marinow, T. Wolińska, Łódź 2020, s. 13–44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18778/8142-804-0.02
Brzozowska Z. A., Leszka M. J., George the Monk (Hamartolus), Chronicle [w:] Z. A. Brzozowska, M. J. Leszka, T. Wolińska, Muhammad and the origin of Islam in the Byzantine-Slavic literary context: a bibliographical history, Łódź–Kraków 2020, s. 190–197. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18778/8220-341-7
Brzozowska Z. A., Leszka M. J., Michael Synkellos and his lost refutation of Islam in the Medieval Byzantine-Slavic literary tradition [w:] Eastern Christians’ engagement with Islam and the Qur'an (c. 8th–18th centuries): texts, contexts and knowledge regimes, red. O. A. Negoiță, Berlin–Boston 2025, s. 125–151. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111140766-006
Brzóstkowska A., Kroniki z kręgu Symeona Logotety [w:] Testimonia najdawniejszych dziejów Słowian, t. 5, red. A. Brzóstkowska, Warszawa 2009, s. 64–67.
A companion to Byzantine chronicles, red. R. Tocci, Leiden–Boston 2025.
Czamańska I., Leśny J., Bitwa na Kosowym Polu 1389, Poznań 2015.
Czekalski T., Hauziński J., Leśny J., Historia Albanii, Wrocław 2009.
Dziadul P., W oczekiwaniu na Paruzję. Myśl eschatologiczna w prawosławnym piśmiennictwie słowiańskim do połowy XVI w., Kraków 2014.
Gabidzashvili E., Arsen of Ikalto [w:] Christian-Muslim relations. A bibliographical history, t. 3, red. D. Thomas, A. Mallett, Leiden–Boston 2011, s. 383–386. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004195158.i-804.229
Gagova N., Biblical writings and rewritings in the South Slavic repertoire from the 14th and 15th centuries: rethinking the sacred history in anticipation of the end of the world, „Starobălgarska literatura” 2024 [„Старобългарска литература”], t. 69–70, s. 149–182.
Gagova N., „Iz knigi Konstantina Kostenečskago”: Zogr. 105 [w:] Š’stvoują nyne po sledou oučitelju. Sbornik v čest na prof. d.f.n. Anna-Marija Totomanova, Sofija 2021, s. 202–234 [Гагова Н., „Из книги Константина Костенечскаго”: Зогр. 105 [w:] Шьствоуѭ нынѣ по слѣдоу оучителю. Сборник в чест на проф. д.ф.н. Анна-Мария Тотоманова, София 2021, s. 202–234].
Gagova N., Vladeteli i knigi. Učastieto na južnoslavjanskija vladetel v proizvodstvoto i upotrebata na knigi prez Srednovekovieto (IX–XV v.): recepcijata na vizantijskija model, Sofija 2010 [Гагова Н., Владетели и книги. Участието на южнославянския владетел в производството и употребата на книги през Средновековието (IX–XV в.): рецепцията на византийския модел, София 2010].
Guimon T. V., Historical writing of early Rus (c. 1000 – c. 1400) in a comparative perspective, Leiden–Boston 2021.
Hunger H., Die Hochsprachliche profane Literatur der Byzantiner, t. 1, Philosophie, Rhetorik, Epistolographie, Geschichtsschreibung, Geographie, München 1978.
Jurewicz O., Historia literatury bizantyńskiej. Zarys, Wrocław–Warszawa–Kraków–Gdańsk–Łódź 1984.
Kosiński R., The Chronicle by George the Monk and its relation to Theodore Lector’s work, „Res Gestae. Czasopismo Historyczne” 2017, t. 5, s. 46–72.
Kwoka T., Dzieje słownictwa z zakresu stosunków społecznych w Serbii i Czarnogórze, t. 2 (Państwo i administracja), Kraków 2013.
Mango C., The tradition of Byzantine chronography, „Harvard Ukrainian Studies” 1988/1989, t. 12/13, s. 360–372.
Monégier du Sorbier M.-A., Recherches sur la tradition manuscrite de la chronique de Georges le Moine, la tradition directe, t. 1–2, Paris 1985 [niepublikowana dysertacja doktorska].
Moravčević N., Srpske vlastelinke. Državnice i diplomatkinje krajem XIV i prvom polovinom XV v. Istorijska studija, Beograd 2016 [Моравчевић Н., Српске властелинке. Државнице и дипломаткиње краjем XIV и првом половином XV в. Историjска студиjа, Београд 2016].
Neville L., Guide to Byzantine historical writing, Cambridge 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139626880
Petrova M., Hamartolos or Zonaras: searching for the author of a chronicle in a fourteenth-century Slavic manuscript (MS. Slav. 321 from the Library of the Romanian Academy of Sciences), „Scripta & e-Scripta” 2010, t. 8–9, s. 405–425.
Petrova M., Za edin neizvesten prepis na Letovnik na Georgi Amartol i negovite răkopisni paraleli, „Starobălgarska literatura” 2009, t. 41–42, s. 226–245 [Петрова М., За един неизвестен препис на Летовника на Георги Амартол и неговите ръкописни паралели, „Старобългарска литература” 2009, t. 41–42, s. 226–245].
Popkonstantinov K., Totomanova A.M., Epohata na bălgarskija car Samuil. Ezik i pismenost, Sofija 2014 [Попконстантинов К., Тотоманова А.М., Епохата на българския цар Самуил. Език и писменост, София 2014].
Protas’eva T. N., Opisanie rukopisej Sinodal’nogo sobranija (ne vošedšich v opisanie A.V. Gorskogo i K.I. Nevostrueva, t. 2, Moskva 1973 [Протасьева Т. Н., Описание рукописей Синодального собрания (не вошедших в описание А.В. Горского и К.И. Невоструева), t. 2, Москва 1973].
Purković M. A., Kćeri kneza Lazara. Istorijska studija, Beograd 1996 [Пурковић М. А., Кћери кнеза Лазара. Историjска студиjа, Београд 1996].
Sophoulis P., Byzantine Chronicle and their South Slavonic translations in the 14th century, „Cyrillomethodianum” 2016, t. 21, s. 199–213.
Stankov R., Drevnebolgarskij perevod Chroniki Georgija Amartola v drevnerusskoj pis’mennoj tradicii, „Starobălgarska literatura” 2008, t. 39–40, s. 45–103 [Станков Р., Древнеболгарский перевод Хроники Георгия Амартола в древнерусской письменнной традиции, „Старобългарска литература” 2008, t. 39–40, s. 45–103]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-1882(08)70372-0
Stankov R., Slavjanskij perevod chroniki Georgija Amartola v izdanii V. M. Istrina, „Palaeobulgarica” 1994, t. 18, nr 1, s. 74–88 [Станков Р., Славянский перевод хроники Георгия Амартола в издании В. М. Истрина, „Palaeobulgarica” 1994, t. 18, nr 1, s. 74–88].
Tăpkova-Zaimova V., Miltenova A., Historical-apocalyptic literature in Byzantium and Medieval Bulgaria, Sofia 2011.
Todorov B. A., Monks and history: Byzantine chronicles in church Slavic [w:] Translating the Middle Ages, red. K. Fresco, Ch. Wright, Farnham 2012, s. 147–159.
Tomin S., Knjigoljubive žene srpskog srednjeg veka, Novi Sad 2007 [Томин С., Књигољубиве жене српског средњег века, Нови Сад 2007].
Tomović G., Nadgrobni natpis Voihne iz Konjuha, „Istorijski časopis” 2013, t. 62, s. 147–162 [Томовић Г., Надгробни натпис Воихне из Коњуха, „Историјски часопис” 2013, t. 62, s. 147–162]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/english/eft006
Totomanova A. M., The short redaction of Joannes Zonaras’ Ἐπιτομὴ Ἱστοριῶν in the Slavonic manuscript tradition, „Studia Ceranea. Journal of the Waldemar Ceran Research Centre for the History and Culture of the Mediterranean Area and South-East Europe” 2024, t. 14, s. 113–142. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18778/2084-140X.14.29
Treadgold W. T., The Middle Byzantine historians, New York 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137280862
Turilov A. A., K istorii vtoroj (makedonskoj) rukopisnoj kollekcii A. F. Gil’ferdinga, „Slavjanskij al’manach” 2002, t. 7, s. 130–143 [Турилов А. А., К истории второй (македонской) рукописной коллекции А. Ф. Гильфердинга, „Славянский альманах” 2002, t. 7, s. 130–143].
Tvorogov O. V., Chronika Georgija Amartola [w:] Slovar’ knižnikov i knižnosti Drevnej Rusi (XI – pervaja polovina XIV v.), red. D. S. Lichačev, Leningrad 1987, s. 469–470 [Творогов О. В., Хроника Георгия Амартола [w:] Словарь книжников и книжности Древней Руси (XI – первая половина XIV в.), red. Д. С. Лихачев, Ленинград 1987, s. 469–470.
Vilkul T., Litopis i chronograf. Studiï z domongol’s’kogo kyïvs’kogo litopysannja, Kyïv 2015 [Вiлкул T., Літопис і хронограф. Студії з текстології домонгольського київського літописання, Київ 2015].
Vodolazkin E. G., Vsemirnaja istorija v literature Drevnej Rusi, Sankt-Peterburg 2008 [Водолазкин Е. Г., Всемирная история в литературе Древней Руси, Санкт-Петербург 2008].
Vuković S., Srpski jerarsi od IX do XX v., Beograd–Podgorica–Kragujevac–Novi Sad 1996 [Вуковић С., Српски јерарси од IX до XX в., Београд–Подгорица–Крагујевац–Нови Сад 1996].
Weingart M., Byzantské kroniky v literatuře církevnĕslovanské. Přehled a rozbor filologický, t. 2, Bratislava 1923.
Yovcheva M., Taseva L., Translated literature in the Bulgarian Middle Ages as a social and cultural phenomenon, „Scripta & e-Scripta” 2012, t. 10–11, s. 271–323.
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Zofia Brzozowska
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
- The Author hereby warrants that he/she is the owner of all the copyright and other intellectual property rights in the Work and that, within the scope of the present Agreement, the paper does not infringe the legal rights of another person.The owner of the copyright work also warrants that he/she is the sole and original creator thereof and that is not bound by any legal constraints in regard to the use or sale of the work.
- The Author grants the Purchaser non-exclusive and free of charge license to unlimited use worldwide over an unspecified period of time in the following areas of exploitation:
2.1. production of multiple copies of the Work produced according to the specific application of a given technology, including printing, reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means (reprography) and digital technology;
2.2. marketing authorisation, loan or lease of the original or copies thereof;
2.3. public performance, public performance in the broadcast, video screening, media enhancements as well as broadcasting and rebroadcasting, made available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them;
2.4. inclusion of the Work into a collective work (i.e. with a number of contributions);
2.5. inclusion of the Work in the electronic version to be offered on an electronic platform, or any other conceivable introduction of the Work in its electronic version to the Internet;
2.6. dissemination of electronic versions of the Work in its electronic version online, in a collective work or independently;
2.7. making the Work in the electronic version available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, in particular by making it accessible via the Internet, Intranet, Extranet;
2.8. making the Work available according to appropriate license pattern Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) as well as another language version of this license or any later version published by Creative Commons. - The Author grants the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan permission to:
3.1. reproduce a single copy (print or download) and royalty-free use and disposal of rights to compilations of the Work and these compilations.
3.2. send metadata files related to the Work, including to commercial and non-commercial journal-indexing databases. - The Author declares that, on the basis of the license granted in the present Agreement, the Purchaser is entitled and obliged to allow third parties to obtain further licenses (sublicenses) to the Work and to other materials, including derivatives thereof or compilations made based on or including the Work, whereas the provisions of such sub-licenses will be the same as with the attributed license pattern Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) or another language version of this license, or any later version of this license published by Creative Commons. Thereby, the Author entitles all interested parties to use the work, for non-commercial purposes only, under the following conditions:
4.1. acknowledgment of authorship, i.e. observing the obligation to provide, along with the distributed work, information about the author, title, source (link to the original Work, DOI) and of the license itself.
4.2. the derivatives of the Work are subject to the same conditions, i.e. they may be published only based on a licence which would be identical to the one granting access to the original Work. - The University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań is obliged to
5.1. make the Work available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, without any technological constraints;
5.2. appropriately inform members of the public to whom the Work is to be made available about sublicenses in such a way as to ensure that all parties are properly informed (appropriate informing messages).
Other provisions
- The University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań hereby preserves the copyright to the journal as a whole (layout/stylesheet, graphics, cover design, logo etc.)